Distributor apparatus for cinder and the like



March 24, 1953 A. s. WEIGEL 2,632,559

DISTRIBUTOR APPARATUS FOR CINDER AND THE LIKE Filed June 16, 1949 2 sl-xEETs-SHEET 1 Mardi 24, 19,53n .l s, WEI'GEL 2,632,559

DISTRIBUTOR APPARATUS FOR CINQER AND THE LIKE Filed June 16. 1 949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 32 3f Flg. 5. Fig. 4.

45l 35 Q .fh so 50 44 T l( u W4 e lll l l 32 4V INVENTOR Albert S. Weigel ATTO EY Patented Mar. 24, 1953 DISTRIBUTOR APPARATUS FOR CINDER AND THE LIKEv Albert S. Weigel, Maplewood, N. J., assgnor to Combustion Engineering-Superheater,

Inc.,

, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 16, 1949, Serial No. 99,413

This invention relates to improved apparatus for uniformly and continuously distributing material along a path and in particular for so distributing cinder into the fuel across the length of a Stoker hopper to thereby deliver it uniformly into the fuel bed upon the stoker.

The improved distributing apparatus is especially useful when used in conjunction with traveling grate stokers to which fuel is supplied through a hopper onto one end of the grate and thence travels with the grate while burning. The ash is Vdischarged from the opposite end of the grate into an ash hopper. The improved apparatus may also be used in conjunction with a traveling grate to which fuel is supplied by means of a spreader Stoker, or to other types ofoverfeed or underfeed stokers where cinder is to be delivered uniformly into the fuel bed.

When a boiler is associated with a furnace, a

portion of the ner, partly burned fuel or cinder n will be carried by the products of lcombustion out of the furnace into the boiler. Some of this cinder or fly ash will separate out of the gaseous products and will settle into hoppers at the bottom of the boiler passes and the remaining will 4be carried out of the boiler and may be separated If the cinder is introduced into a stoker hopper in unequal distribution across the length of the hopper and/orv in batches it will flow with the `fuel into the furnace in unequal distribution through the fuel bed and will cause objectionable ununiform burning of the fuel. When this cinder is returned tothe furnace through jets which deliver it at a substantial distance above the grate into the main portion of the products of combustion flowing upwardly through the furnace, it is found that although the combustible matter in the cinder so deliveredis further consumed in the furnace, the remaining .portion is `again carried back into the boiler with the products ofY combustion and thereby objectionably `increases the loading of lcinder in the products 7 claims. (c1. 19a- 169) passing through the boiler. The thus increased loading of cinder in the flue gases has been found to impair the value as a nuisance eliminator of a separator for collecting the cinder or fly ash, it tending to raise the quantity of cinder or fly ash which escapes from the separator into the atmosphere where it constitutes an objectionable nuisance. Furthermore, this increased loading of cinder in the ue gases has been found to cause serious erosion and consequent failure of the boiler tubes, the external surfaces of which are swept by the cinder loaded flue gases.

Y To overcome these difficulties, it is desirable to introduce the cinder into the body of the fuel .bed so as to retain a large proportion of this cinder in the fuel bed and discharge it into the ash pit and thereby prevent its recirculation through the boiler; y

It is lan object of this invention to provide novel means for uniformly and continuously distributing cinder into the fuel bed upon a stoker.

Additional objects of the invention will appear from the following description of one preferred embodiment of the invention as illustrated by the `accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a preferred form of the improved materials-distributing apparatus.

Figure 2 is part end elevation and part section of the apparatus taken on line 2 -2 of Figure 1.l

Figure 3 is a part plan view and part section of the apparatus taken on line 3-1-3 of Figure 1, showing a fragment of the cinder conveyor.

Figure 3a is a section of the apparatus taken on line 3a-3a of Fig. 1, however with the chain conveyor not shown. Fig. 3a, also distinguishes from Fig. 3 by illustrating a continuous slot instead of a plurality of slots in alignment.

Figure 4 is a plan view, in larger scale, of .a fragment of the Acinder conveyor shown in Figure 3. Figure 5 isa cross section through the apparatus taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1.

In Figure 2 the reference character I represents the front Wall-of a furnace chamber 2 of a boiler setting (not shown) equipped Y with a stoker 3, in this instance of the traveling grate type, delivering fuel into the furnace through wall I. The fuel is delivered` to the Stoker 3 through hopper 4 from spout 5 which is connected to the fuel supply bunker B.

A supply of cinder or fly ash which has been separated (by means not here shown) `out of the products of combustion passing through the boiler is deposited into a receiving hopper 'I therefor. A rotary air seal valve 8 below hopper l delivers the cinder from the hopper 'I into a Y tting 9. One branch i9 `of the tting 9 is provided with a gate valve II through which, when open, the cinder may be withdrawn into pipe I2. When gate valve I I is closed, the cinder will iiow through the other branch I3 of the tting 9 and will be delivered to a conveyor I4, in this instance a screw conveyor.

In this disclosure there are four such ttings 9 shown (see Figure l) beneath the hopper 1, the branch I3 of each tting delivering` cinder` tothe conveyor I4. As here disclosed, this conveyor I4 comprises a trough I5 in which a screw I9 rotates, advancing the cinder from thevttings' 9 into a second screw conveyor II (running at right ang-les to the first) which in turn advances the fly ash by means of screw I9-intoaspout 19 through which it falls into the distributor generally designated as 29,

The conveyor driving-means here represented utilizes a sprocket 2I .keyed to :theshaft '.22 :of the-worm I5 of the conveyor I4 (Figuresl and 2) a sprocket 23 vmounted-on one end oa drive shaft24; and a'bevel gear 25 mounted on said shaft 24, the gearv 2 5 meshing with another bevel AgearZfi keyed to the shaft 2l of worm I8 of conveyor I'I. Sprockets'ZI anol23 are'interconnected byachain 2B and are driven at some Vappropriate speed from a common motor (see Fig. 2) through Vany suitable means typied by `a chain and sprocket 23a on shaftV 24.

The vdistributor 29shown in the drawing views Acomprises a trough having a; bottom'29, side plates Vlland a removable cover plate-3l.V An yendless chain-drag conveyor 32 slides along the bottom of the trough'throughout its full length'in'the Vdirectionshown bythe arrow in Figure '.1 and after passing around sprockets' at one end of the conveyor 29 moves in the opposite direction across the top of the troughbeneath'the cover plate 3| to the other end of the conveyor, thence passing around sprockets 34.

The shaft 35 of sprockets 33 is provided-on the outside of the trough with a drive sprocket 36 which in turn is driven through chain "S'Iby a motor and reduction gearing '39. The other sprockets 34 of chain-drag 32 havetheir shaft 39 rotating in `bearings 49 which are mounted to slide longitudinally of the trough 29 and are held in lposition by means of take up bolts 4 I. By adjusting the nuts 42 on the take up bolts 4I outside of the Vtrough end, the tension in the chain '92 may be varied. As shown in the brokenV section ofligure 1, curved shoes 43 are provided to carry the top run of the chain 32.

,overlying Vthe three hoppers 48 into which the distributed cinders drop. A continuous diagonal slot (45a, Fig. 3a) can be used or a plurality of slots in alignment 46 and 4'I,`Fig. 3) can be provided. These hoppers 48 extend in length over substantially the 'full'length of Vthe Stoker hopper'4.

Additional slots 49, rStand 5I are providedin .T passes through rotary valves 8 hence branches off the Y fittings 9 into conveyor' I4 whence it is conveyed to conveyor Il' and thence through chute I 9 into the distributor 29. In order to uni- -forlnly .deliver the cinder across the width of the chain 32 in the distributor trough 29, the chute I9 is provided with baiiles 55 (see Fig. 1). The

' cinder in cascading onto the successive baffles 55 is spread .uniformly over the width of the bottom edge of' the' lowermost baille and is so deliv- .ereduniformly over the width of the chain 32.

The vcinder thereupon falls through the open chain links 44 of the top run of chain 32 and into the pockets formed by the chain links 44 resting on the bottom 29. of the trough 29. As

the chain moves across the bottom 29 (from right 'to left in Figs.` 1 and 3) it drags the pockets, now substantially uniformly lledrwith cinder, across the-slots 46, 41 or'45a in said'bottom 29. Because the slots 45, '41. or '46a extend diagonally `across the width ofthe bottom 29 forthe combined-length of the. hoppers 48, the cinder in the pockets of chain links '44 will spill through the vslots as the links pass over the slots.

"The iirst pockets to be emptied, considered in direction ofchain travel, will be those at the Yright wall'of the trough,l then, Vas the .chain a'dvances, successive pockets will empty from right to' left'as they pass over the slots and finally the pockets adjacent the left wall of the trough will empty. Because the slots .45, 4'I or`l46a. are substantially in` a straight diagonal-line, the flow of the cinder through the slots will be substantially uniform over the total length of the slot or slots and hence a uniform distribution of the Vcinder is effected across the combined length of the hoppers 43 and thence through spouts 48a to the Stoker hopper`4.

Slots 49, 59 and 5I serve to remove any material from trough 29 which may not'have passed 'through slots 46 and 4T and is being carried onward by thechain `32 on'the right side of slots -46 and' 41 with respect to the direction'of chain lcorners of the trough at the sides of the chain `32.

The material that may pass through slots 49,50, 5I, 52 and 53 will be a minor portion of the total material ypassing through'the distributor trough 20, so that the distribution of material into hoppers .48 will be substantially uniform and continuous across the combined length of these hoppers.

vObviously the plate 2.9 may be placed under the topsrun of the chain 32 and the material falling .through the slots will then pass through the lower orreturn run of the chain. In this instance the chain would `travel-in the opposite direction to that disclosed-heretofore.

While thepreferred embodiment'of the invention has been shown and described, it Will be un' derstoojd `that changes in construction, combina- '.tionand arrangement of 1parts may be. made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

1. In apparatus for distributingv fine material substantially uniformly along a path of given length, the combination of a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof and having a flat bottom of narrow width with respect to its length and sides; a substantially continuous slot extending through said bottom and diagonally across the width thereof over the length of said path; an endless chain drag conveyor, a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom while covering its entire surface over the length of said slot means for guiding said chain drag conveyor onto and off of said bottom adjacent its ends and supportingthe returning portion of the chain at a spaced distance from said bottom; means for moving said chain along said bottom; and means for delivering material into said trough uniformly across the width of said bottom adjacent the chains entering end.

2. Apparatus for distributing ne material continuously and substantially uniformly along a substantially straight path of given length, comprising a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof having a at bottom of narrow Width with respect to its length and sides; a plurality of slots in alignment extending through said bottom and diagonally across the width thereof over the length of said path; an endless chain drag conveyor, a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom over the length of said slot, said chain icomprising a multiplicity of hollow rectangular links extending across the width of said bottom which when resting upon the bottom form juxtaposed pockets open at the top for the reception of said material; sprockets guiding said chain-drag conveyor onto and oi of said bottom adjacent its ends and supporting the returning portion of the chain at Ia Uf i spaced distance from said bottom; means for rotating one of said sprockets to move said chain; and means for delivering material into said trough uniformly across the width of said bottom adjacent the chains entering end.

3. In apparatus for distributing vfine material continuously and substantially uniformly along a substantially straight path of given length, the combination of a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof and having a fiat bottom of narrow width with respect to its length and-sides; a plurality of slots in alignment extending through said bottom and diagonally across the width thereof over the length of said path; an endless chain drag conveyor, a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom while covering its entire surface over the length of said slotsaid chain comprising a multiplicity of hollow rectangular links extending across the width of said bottom which when resting upon the bottom form juxtaposed pockets open at the top for the reception of said material; sprockets guiding said chain-drag conveyor onto and off of said bottom adjacent its ends and supporting the returning portion of the chain at a spaced distance above said bottom; means for rotating one j of said sprockets to move said chain; and means prsing; a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof and having a, flat bottom platte of narrow width with respect to its length and sides; slotted outlet means through said bottom plate extending from one side longitudinally of and diagonally across the Width of said bottom over the length of said path to the other side; at least one other slot extending transversely across the bottom from said diagonal slotted outlet means to said one side; at least one slot through said bottom extending parallel to and along said walls; an endless chain drag conveyor a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom while covering its entire surface over the length of said diagonal slotted outlet means; sprockets guiding said chain-drag onto and off of said bottom adjacent its ends and sup-porting the returning portion of the chain at a spaced distance from said bottom; means for rotating one of said sprockets to move said chain; and means for delivering material into said trough uniformly across the width of said bottom adjacent the chains entering end.

5. In apparatus for distributing fine material substantially uniformly along a path of given length, the combination of a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof and having a flat bottom of narrow width with respect to its length and sides; a plurality of slots in alignment extending through said bottom and diagonally across the width thereof over the length of said path; an endless chain drag conveyer, a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom while covering its entire surface over the length of said slot; means for guiding said chain drag conveyer onto and off of said bottom adjacent its ends and supporting'the returning portion of the chain at a spaced distance from said bottom; means for moving said chain along said bottom; and means for delivering material into said trough uniformly across the width of said bottom adjacent the chains entering end.

6. In apparatus for distributing fine material substantially uniformly along a path of given length, the combination of a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof and having a flat bottom of narrow width with respect to its length and sides; slotted outlet means extending through said bottom and diagonally across the Width thereof over the length of said path; an endless chain drag conveyer, a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom while covering its entire surface over the length of said outlet; means for guiding said chain drag conveyer onto and off of said bottom adjacent its ends and supporting the returning portion of the chain at a spaced distance from said bottom means for 'moving said chain along said bottom; and means for delivering material into said trough uniformly across the width of said bottom adjacent the chains entering end.

7. In apparatus for distributing fine material substantially uniformly along a path of given length, the combination of a trough extending over said path for at least the length thereof and having a fiat bottom of narrow width with respect to its length and sides; slotted outlet means extending through said bottom and diagonally across the width thereof over the length of said path; an endless pusher conveyor, a portion of which rests upon and moves along said bottom while covering its entire surface over the length of said outlet; means for guiding said pusher conveyor onto and off of said bottom adjacent its ends-and supporting the returning `portion of the UNITED STATES PATENTS @Onveyor at a. spaced distance from said bottom; Number Name Date means for moving said conveyor along said bQt- 461,632 Humphrey Oct.20, 1891 tom;v and means for delivering material into said 535,451 -McKeuar July 13J 1397 trough uniformly across the Width of said bot- 5 621,744 Bowden Mar.21,1899 tom adjacent the conveyors entering end. 835,288 Patterson Nov. 6, 1906 1,512,654 TroyV Oct. 2l, 1924 ALBERT S- 'WEIGEL V1,635,925 Carlson July 12,1927 2,053,038 MacKenzie Sept. 1, 1936 REFERENCES CITED FOREIGN PATENTS The following references are of record in the Number Country Date le 'f this patent 636,865 Germany Oct. 16, 193s 

